Minister of Road Transport and Bridges Obaidul Quader joins a rally with film actor Ilias Kanchan, also chairman of the Nirapad Sarak Chai, in Dhaka. Photo: TV grab

Film star and Nirapad Sarak Chai Chairman Ilias Kanchan urged the government to form a high-powered committee led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for ensuring road safety across the country.

The committee will coordinate among the activities taken by different concerned ministries to this end, Kanchan said.

He came up with the demands at a rally at Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka following a procession that started from Kakrail intersection around 11:00am.

Nirapad Sarak Chai, an organisation campaigning for safe roads over the last two decades, demanded the government’s recognition to observe “October 22” as National Road Safety Day.

Ilias also called upon the drivers across the country to drive their vehicles carefully. “The passengers should also be alert and ask drivers to run vehicles slowly in case of recklessly driving.”

While inaugurating the rally of Nirapad Sarak Chai, an organisation continuing movement to ensure safe road, at Kakrail, Minister of Road Transport and Bridges Obaidul Quader told reporters, “The government has identified 144 accident-prone spots across the country and started repairing those”.

On queries about the Natore accident, the minister said, “The road is not responsible for the accident, the drivers had also drove their buses recklessly resulting in the road crash.”